Ebay. Saw it going begging @ $10.5K with just a few days left. Learned it was for sale locally for $13.8K...figured the reserve was in the 12's. Waited 'til one minute and bid 12,250...hi bidder but reserve not met...24-sec...bid 12,555 (cuz it was fast to type!) and met reserve of 12,500 with 3-sec. remaining. 546-mi, and $4K-goodies.

 

traded my 07 vstar in exchange for a 99 dyna and ive never been happier

 

I traded my 08 xl1220c (that I had smoked a deer with) in on the trade up deal. Worked out pretty good. I got rid of a bike that I was a little leary of and brought home my new BOB for under $3000 with forwards installed on it.

 

I had a 01 honda shadow 700, which I sold to my mother to pay for my divorce, which was great because I could still use it if I wanted. Once my fiance, then my girlfriend, found out that I rode motorcycles she was all about going for rides, well after a few rides on the shadow she decided that she would like to learn how to ride too, so we went up to Motor City Harley just to look at bikes (I always wanted a Harley but never thought I could afford one). We were dreamily planning on having a road king for me and or both of us and a sportster for her. Well we went into the dealer to look at the new and used road kings and we both turned around at the same moment and saw this pretty little 05 1200C in electric blue and she instantly fell in love with it, we bought it that night. Then last summer after she took the riders safety course and put a few thousand miles on my dads shadow (which he loaned to her as long as we stored it for the winter for him) we decided to go look at the police road kings they had at the dealer so she could move into the sportie. Well I looked at the police road kings and was all but sold on getting one, then on the day we where going to buy it I walked into the dealer and there was an 08 SB sitting on the show room floor.......I saw it.....fell in love....and got the SB instead of the RK and I couldnt be happier with my choice

 

My wife bought me an 08 XL1200L Sportster in Sept of 2007. I had not rode a bike for 25 years. I took the Riders Edge Course in October. After having the bike for 16 months, I did not know if the "by-back" program was an option for me. I checked with my dealer and found out that it did. After looking at my bike, they told me that they would give me $9,699 for my bike. I had my eye on the 2009 vivid black FXD. My wife told me to go for it. Did not take me more than a second to agree with her. I got it for $12,869. I couldn't be happier. After all, at almost 72 years of age, you only live once. My wife told me to tell you that.

 

I think I've told my story somewhere on this forum before, so sorry if you're reading it for a second time. I drag raced, first on the street, then on the strip, from the time I was a teenager till I was in my late twenties. After blowing an engine in my drag car, I decided to hang it up. It had just gotten too expensive. I decided to get a bike instead. I bought an older used Kawasaki Ninja cheap. I hated it! It was the most uncomfortable bike I've ridden in my life. Kept it a little over a month and resold it. I did make a little bit of a profit off of it. Went almost two years without riding, then decided I still wanted a bike. I bought my first Harley, a Sportster in 2002. I rode it for almost a year, then traded it in on an 03 aniversary addition Super Glide. There was nothing wrong with the Sporty, just decided I wanted something bigger. The SG was a great bike, and I shouldn't have ever gotten rid of it. I had it for a little over a year, when a long time buddy sold his 02 Low Rider and got back into drag racing. Like a dummy, I followed his lead and let him talk me into selling my SG.

Well drag racing had only gotten more expensive in those few years I was absent. I'm also not the most patient person in the world. So, I got myself into major credit card debt building an S-10 drag truck with a 383 stroker motor and nitrous. I raced again for a while, but got tired of never having enough money or enough help to really do the things with the truck I wanted. I also missed having a bike. In fall of 06, I sold the S-10 with the intention of buying another Harley. Unfortunately not long after selling it, the company I had been working for the last 11 years went belly up. I used some of the money from the sell of the S-10 to live on while I was between jobs, and I did actually pay off one of the credit cards I had charged up. I wasn't out of work that long, so I did have enough money left for a down payment on a bike. The problem was with my present finances, I couldn't afford the payments on a new big twin Harley. Also, with my considerable credit card debt I doubted I could even get financed for one.

I looked in the paper and online at a few used Sportsters, but wasn't sure I would be happy with one after having a Dyna. One day I decided to go to a few dealers, there are several in my area, and see what used Dynas were going for. I left my house, then thought about a nearby Yamaha dealer. This dealer always parks their used bikes out on the sidewalk by the street. It's the main drag through a small town called Highlands. I had seen them have a used Harley out there a time or two before, but it wasn't that common. I decided to go by there just in case. I also knew in the back of my mind that I might have to settle for something besides a Harley, so why not check out a few Yammys.

As I drive up to the dealer, I'm looking at the used bikes out there by the street and what do I see......There's a yellow and black Dyna Wide Glide mixed in there with all those Yamahas. So after I about pass the driveway to their parking lot up staring at it, I pull in and park. I go over to the used bikes, and a salesman comes out right away to greet me. I pretend to be interested in the Yamahas, then casually stroll over to the Wide Glide. I ask about it, and he tells me the guy traded it in on one of their touring bikes. He said that the guys wife rode with him all the time, and they wanted a tourer. He said that the Harley dealers wouldn't get right with them on the trade or the price of the new bike, so he decided to get the Yamaha touring model. I switch on the ignition and woah 50,000 miles. Ofcourse the bike is a 95 model. I look it over some more, and it's pretty clean and seems to have been well maintained. So I ask how much they want for it. I think the first price they told me was like $8,600 or $8,800. Didn't seem like a bad price. That was before our currently economic slump. So I start negotiating. Anyway, to make a long story short....(oh too late)..I talked them down to $7,800. I decided at that price, even if I did end up having to go through the engine, I still wouldn't have what a new bike costs in it. I put a decent amount down, but still worried I wouldn't get approved. Well I did, and I rode her home. I got a buddy to take me back later for my truck.



P.S. I did end up having the top end redone at around 62,000 miles. But, that was only because the base gaskets were seeping. She was still running like a top. Best part is, I purchased a warranty through the Yamaha dealer. The warranty paid the whole bill for the top end job, accept for the price of the new pistons, cam, and roller rockers.

 

went in to dealer to buy a crotch rocket walked out with a super glide "love it"

 

Went to Street Vibrations in Reno last year and did the Harley test rides.

I ended up riding 5 different model and just fell in love with the Fat Bob.

I bought a new 2009 Fat Bob in December.

 

I had a Honda 750 and had the fever for a HD. I just decided for the heck of it one day while I was at work to check a local cycle shop to see what they had...I saw my SG in their used bike listing. I went up and looked at it, rode it, and a few days later bought it! I wasn't seriously looking for one to buy, just looking!

 

I had seen the SG at a dealer while on vacation. Told wife I would get one if we werent building a house at the time. A while later a friend of ours only a couple years older than us was dying with cancer my wife decided to get my ride and surprise me with it at my place of employment on my birthday. Been loving it ever since. She figured if we waited till we could afford it, it might be too late.